He chaired Mr Johnson's leadership campaign, but now accuses him of ignoring warnings from security allies such as the US, saying that "even Vietnam does not want Huawei."

Tom Tugendhat, a Conservative MP who is campaigning for re-election as foreign affairs committee chairman, said it would be "near impossible" to bar Huawei's 5G equipment from "sensitive geographic locations", as claimed by the government.

Ex-cabinet minister David Davis accused the government of preparing to "accept a bribe" from the Chinese state.

However, Culture Secretary Baroness Morgan defended the move, saying the decision "deals with the challenges" the country faces on national security.